Report on counterfeit goods online

Many consumers are deceived into thinking that they have come across a bargain online. These deals may be illegal products which do not comply with regulatory requirements for health, safety, certification or intellectual property rights.

In this report, the consumer is informed about the risks of buying counterfeit products online, intentionally or not. Counterfeit product means that the product looks like the original, but is made without the permission of the person who invented the goods or retains the intellectual property of the product.

The report focuses on the impact of counterfeiting on individual consumer shopping online. The main purpose is to raise awareness among consumers of the possible effects of buying counterfeit products:

• What are the risks for consumers?
• How can you recognize counterfeit products online and avoid buying these products?
• Which consumer rights do you have? And what can you do if you accidentally buy fakes?
• Examples of experiences from other EU consumers

Read the report: The Impact of Counterfeiting on online consumer rights in Europe